SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Tops 81st Oscars® with Eight

Patel and Pinto in SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

The movie that I tagged as the possible "little movie that could," in September, did. The cast and crew will be taking eight golden statuettes back to the U.K., or India. It won best picture, and the best director went to Danny Boyle. There were honors for best cinematography, sound mixing, film editing, and adapted screenplay. Musically, A.R. Rahman received the best original score and best song ("Jai Ho") Oscars.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON took home three expected ones: art direction, makeup and visual effects. THE DARK KNIGHT and MILK each garnered two.

Heath Ledger was posthumously awarded best supporting actor as the Joker in DARK KNIGHT, and the movie received one technical award for sound editing.

MILK's Sean Penn was named best actor for his role as Harvey Milk, and Dustin Lance Black's original screenplay received an Oscar.

Winning actresses Winslet and Cruz

Kate Winslet and Penelope Cruz each finally won acting Oscars. Winslet was named best actress in a leading role as a former Nazi with many secrets in THE READER, and Penelope Cruz was named best supporting actress as the ex-wife in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA. DOUBT and FROST/NIXON were shutout.



Oscars also went to:
Best Animated Feature - WALL-E
Best Costumes - THE DUCHESS - Michael O'Connor
Best Documentary Feature - MAN ON WIRE
Best Documentary Short - SMILE PINKI
Best Live Action Short - SPIELZEUGLAND (Toyland)
Best Foreign Language Film - DEPARTURES, (Okuribito, Japan), dir. Yojiro Takita.

For the list of nominees and winners see the link on the right sidebar, "81st Oscar Nominations & Winners." The link will remain until the next awards.

I have watched the Academy Awards for more years than I will admit to, and the 81st presentation last night is the best one I have ever seen. For a decade the annual event's viewer percentage has been gradually declining. Therefore, this was a year of change for the Oscar Gala, too.

Before a couple of unfortunate personal incidents, I had planned to post about the changes for the Gala. Almost everyone in the administrative and talent heads at the Academy are no longer there. Last night it was announced that President Sid Ganis had served his last year and would be leaving.

So, good show Academy! Host Hugh Jackman was able to showcase his varied talents and do so with class. The Humanitarian Award was accepted by Jerry Lewis with a short and sincere acceptance speech. The set was spectacular. The proscenium box was gone, inviting the audience in, especially by moving the orchestra out of the pit onto the expanded stage.

Mimi Picks Some Oscar® Favorites

(Order Poster)
First of all, I am sorry that my coverage of the Oscar race is a bust this year. The great ice storm of 2009 hit the last week of January and I was without electricity for three weeks, not to mention I had only minimum heat. Therefore, the best I can do now is to make this post, a rather long one at that. Again, sorry!

Harvey Weinstein (The Weinstein Company), has bet his farm and then some on THE READER. He has, by all accounts, pulled out all the stops for his entry this year. How effective was his campaign? According to what I have been reading and have heard, Harvey's kingmaker days in Hollywood may be over because of two young lovers from an Indian slum. Then, on the other hand . . . . .

Performance by an actor in a leading role:

Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films);
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal);
Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features);
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.);
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight).

MIMI PICKS: I think this is Sean Penn's best chance to win in the best actor category, but will the Academy members be more inclined to vote for the comeback of a loser (Mickey Rourke)?

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Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features);
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount);
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax);
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.);
Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage).

MIMI PICKS: Josh Brolin deserved the Oscar in this category last year for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, and the Academy has, on rare occasions, honored an actor or actress for a performance the previous year. It might work for Brolin, except this time he plays a guy who murdered a city supervisor who was gay and took out the mayor who supported gay initiatives. However, a real dead guy, Heath Ledger, who was first nominated for playing a gay guy (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN), seems to have a lock on the category. The question is why? Will winning give Ledger a "bump" for his career?

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Performance by an actress in a leading role

Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics);
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal);
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics);
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax);
Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company).

MIMI PICKS: Hathaway is a first-time nominee and "Academy darling." This nomination is mainly to recognize her transition to adult actress, now she must prove it for another nomination. Streep is the Grand Dame in this category while Jolie is beautiful, but her movie basically tanked. So, that leaves Leo, a first time nominee, and Winslet a five-time nominee loser. Who would benefit most from the "bump"? My money is on Melissa Leo. In other words, and like it or not, I see the best actress and best supporting actor Oscars going to a dark horse and a dark knight in that order.

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Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax);
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax);
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.);Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight).

MIMI PICKS: I love Penélope Cruz, but I fear she will once again be shut out, especially since the Weinstein Company, which has both VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA and THE READER in their distribution stable is putting all their energy toward THE READER and Kate Winslet. Tomei was not as good as she could have been, and Adams gave a superb performance, but it was a low-key one. That leaves Viola Davis for DOUBT and Taraji P. Henson for BENJAMIN BUTTON. I mostly miss in this category, so I will simply say that it will either be Davis or Henson.

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Best animated feature film of the year

BOLT (Walt Disney);
KUNG FU PANDA (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount);
WALL-E (Walt Disney).

MIMI PICKS: WALL-E! Enough said.

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Best documentary feature

THE BETRAYAL (Nerakhoon) (Cinema Guild);
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment);
THE GARDEN (A Black Valley Films Production);
MAN ON WIRE (Magnolia Pictures).

MIMI PICKS: MAN ON WIRE. I was riveted, and it has won more awards than any film in this category.

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Best foreign language film of the year

THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX (A Constantin Film Production), Germany;
THE CLASS (Sony Pictures Classics), France;
DEPARTURES (Regent Releasing),Japan;
REVANCHE (Revenge, Janus Films), Austria
WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel.

MIMI PICKS: THE CLASS. Why? It won at Cannes, and it is a sentimental thing with me. This movie reminds me of the work of the late French director, François Truffaut, who was my friend. I miss him and his movies.

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Adapted screenplay

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJHAMIN BUTTON (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord;
DOUBT (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley;
FROST/NIXON (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan;
THE READER (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare;
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy.

MIMI PICKS: All of these adaptations presented challenges, and all movies are nominated for best picture. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. I'm going with Simon Beufoy (THE FULL MONTY) for SLUMDOG.

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Original screenplay

FROZEN RIVER (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt;
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh;
IN BRUGES (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh;
MILK (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black;
WALL-E (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter.

MIMI PICKS: MILK gets the nod here for being the sensitive subject and I think it would be a splendid pick in this category, but WALL-E blew me away with its intricacies and beautiful heart, and I'm going to say, WALL-E.

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MIMI PICKS: Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score) - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) - “Down to Earth” from WALL-E (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel.

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Achievement in directing

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher;
FROST/NIXON (Universal), Ron Howard;
MILK (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant;
THE READER (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry;
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle.

MIMI PICKS: First, I am delighted that the Academy members did not pick any director out of left field for this category as they did last year. This year they nominated directors of movies nominated for best picture. Well done! Who will win? I pick, Danny Boyle (TRAINSPOTTING, 1996 and SUNSHINE, 2007) for SLUMDOG.

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Best motion picture of the year

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount and Warner Bros.);
FROST/NIXON (Universal);
MILK (Focus Features);
THE READER (The Weinstein Company);
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight).

MIMI PICKS: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. I first learned of this film at the Toronto Film Festival where it won the 2008 Cadillac People's Choice Award this past September. After that, this U.K. production shot in Mumbai, and Maharashtra, India, has won award after award, after award, after . . . well, you get the picture.

Good luck, everyone and party hardy!

SLUMDOG Tops Golden Globes 2009

SLUMDOG is Top Dog at Globes


SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, the Hollywood Bollywood-inspired fantasy movie filmed in Mumbai, India, received four Golden Globes at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's (HFPA) Golden Globes Gala Sunday night. Not only did SLUMDOG win the Best Motion Picture Award, drama, the director (Danny Boyle), screenwriter (Simon Boufoy), and musical score composer (A.R. Rahman), all took home a Globe.

This is what I wrote about SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE in my post on this blog 12/12/2008, exactly one month before the Golden Globes Gala, in regards to the nominations: "In addition, the 'little movie that might,' SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, received a best picture (drama) nomination, and the director Danny Boyle received a best director nomination. SLUMDOG also received a best original score nomination for composer A. R. Rahman. This movie has been picked up by Fox Searchlight. Pay attention to it."

SLUMDOG could be the mighty little independent movie in the Oscar race this year. Think LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, JUNO, etc. SLUMDOG bested the heavyweight nominees THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJIMIN BUTTON (Brad Pitt), FROST/NIXON (directed by Ron Howard), REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (Winslet and DeCaprio), and THE READER (Winslet, again).

BENJAMIN BUTTON, FROST/NIXON and DOUBT all tied with five nominations, but went home sans statuette. So did actress Meryl Streep, having been nominated for best actress in DOUBT (drama) and MAMA MIA! (musical/comedy). However, there were delights with some of the other winners such as actress Kate Winslet. Nominated five times before in the acting category she had won nothing, and this year she hit a double. She received Globes in the drama category for best supporting actress as a Nazi concentration camp guard in THE READER, and the best actress for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, the latter directed by her husband Sam Mendes.

Two other big winners for the evening were actors Collin Farrell and Mickey Rourke. Farrell won best actor, musical/comedy, for his portrayal of a hit man in the weakly distributed, IN BRUGES. It is available now on DVD. I saw it and highly recommend it.

Rourke, who makes a spectacular comeback in the comeback drama THE WRESTLER, won best actor, drama. I was not surprised that Rourke knocked out the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road), Frank Langella (Frost / Nixon), Sean Penn (Milk), and Brad Pitt (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button). In the before-mentioned post I wrote, "However, the one to watch in this category is Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)."

Director Woody Allen, in my humble opinion, richly deserves VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA'S win as best musical/comedy motion picture, while the big surprise of the evening was British actress Sally Hawkins' win as best actress, musical/comedy, for her Pollyanna-like role in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, directed by Mike Leigh.

The win by the animated movie from Israel, WALTZ WITH BASHIR, is an odd choice for Best Foreign Language Film, but the HFPA may not be out in left field about this award-winning animated movie.

The late actor Heath Ledger was honored posthumously for the Joker in THE DARK KNIGHT. There is speculation about an Oscar repeat for Ledger. Only one actor has won a posthumous best-actor Oscar, and that is Peter Finch for NETWORK, 1976.

Of, course, I can't forget Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen who won the best song in a motion picture for THE WRESTLER'S "The Wrestler".

Congratulations to director / producer Stephen Spielberg, this year's recipient of the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award! Now, the big question is, "Are the winners of the Gold Globe Awards precursors of the upcoming Oscars?"

Motion Picture Winners (Sunday, 11 January 2009)

Best Motion Picture - Drama: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy: VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Best Animated Feature: WALL-E
Best Foreign Language Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR, Israel, Animated

Best Performance by an Actress - Drama: KATE WINSLET (Revolutionary Road)
Best Performance by an Actor - Drama: MICKEY ROURKE
Best Performance by an Actress - Musical/Comedy: SALLY HAWKINS (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Best Performance by an Anctor - Musical/Comedy: COLIN FARRELL (IN BRUGES)
Best Performance by an Actress in a supporting role: KATE WINSLET (The Reader)
Best Performance by an Actor in a supporting role: HEATH LEDGER (The Dark Knight)

Best Director - Motion Picture: DANNY BOYLE (Slumdog Millionaire).
Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: SIMON BEAUFOY (Slumdog Millionaire).
Best Original Musical Score - Motion Picture: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, Composed by A. R. Rahman.
Best Original Song - Motion Picture: THE WRESTLER, Music & Lyrics by: Bruce Springsteen.

To see all the winners and nominees for motion pictures and television CLICK.

Madonna Warmly Received at Traverse City FF - WRAP

AWARDS PRESENTED!
Find them all on my Film Festivals Page (direct link to full list).

Sorry, haven't found out which ball cap Michael is wearing today. Too much partying, I guess!

Actress Christine Lahti, New Board Member

Madonna, and her documentary, I AM BECAUSE WE ARE, were warmly received this evening at a screening at the Traverse City (MI) Film Festival, accoring to the AP. The movie concerns orphans in Malawi, the African country where she and her husband Guy Ritchie adopted a son. Proceeds from the screening will go to a foundation that helps Malawian orphans.

Madonna was accompanied by the movie's director Nathan Rissman and her daughter Lourdes, 11. Michael Moore shared the stage with Madonna before the screening, and it was a mutual admiration society between the two Michigan natives. Read a full AP article by clicking the title of this post.

Last week, Michael sent an e-mail proclaiming this year's festival's opening night the best one ever, even though there were thunder storms. He reported the on-stage introduction of two new board members for the TCFF - - Oscar-winning actress and Michigan native Christine Lahti, and acclaimed Italian director and TCFF-fave Sabina Guzzanti.

Rumors are flying again that Spanish actors Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz (see previous post) will soon announce an engagement. They co-star in Woody Allen's latest movie, and Festival opener, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (official site). The couple first met on the set of Bigas Luna's 1992 movie JAMON JAMON (Ham, Ham), but only began dating after reuniting onscreen for Allen's movie, which opens in the U.S. 15 August. Trivia: Did you know the working title was "Midnight in Barcelona?"

According to Michael, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, "was a huge hit - - smart, funny, sexy, and intended for an adult audience that is rarely served these days with smart, funny, and sexy films. What a joy! Ok, who wants to go to Barcelona?!"

Answer - - I do, Michael. I haven't been there since 1998, and I am really home sick for that wonderful city, which really gets going about midnight, and my friends who live there and one, the aforementioned Bigas Luna, who has since moved. Most of them are in the Spanish movie business - - producers, writers, directors, actors, etc. I always try to include a visit to Madrid to see my other cinephile friends. How about it, Michael, are you game? Click.

Back to the Festival, there is a bidding war going on to determine which ball cap Michael will wear this year - - Michigan State University or the University of Michigan? He reports that at the end of the opening night festivities, MSU offered the most for the night. Which one will ultimately prevail? I will update this post with the festival wrap. So, y'all come back now, and y'all will know.

For previous posts about Traverse City FF, click the Traverse City label at bottom of this post.

Woody Allen's Salute to Barcelona at Cannes

In the city of Barcelona, actresses Rebecca Hall, Patricia Clarkson and Scarlett Johansson experience the creations of its famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, as they stand on the roof of his Casa Milá. His famous church, the Familia Segrada (Sacred Family), is far right.


Woody Allen's latest movie, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, filmed in the Catalonian city of Barcelona, Spain, is considered by some to be Allen's homage to that city, as MANHATTAN (1979) was to New York City.

It is also a homage to Spanish actress Penélope Cruz, nominated for an Oscar® in the best actress category for her role in Pedro Almodóvar's VOLVER (Return, 2006). Allen says the moment he saw her in that movie, he decided he had to make a movie with her. Yep. The guy still has it!

BARCELONA stars Javier Bardém with Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz, Rebecca Hall, and Patricia Clarkson. This could be one of Allen's best sex fantasies yet. I get excited just thinking about seeing the movie, as well as scenes from my beloved city, Barcelona, which I am not now able to visit as much as I would like.

The movie premieres at the Cannes International Film Festival next month, screening out of competition. The scheduled U.S. opening is 29 August. For more about Cannes, see link on right sidebar to my Film Festivals Page. For much more about Bardém, click the link for my Foreign Movies Page.